Weekly PDA Newsletter - May 29, 2017

Mon May 29 11:49:04 EDT 2017

Dear MIT Postdocs,

Be sure to stop by the Postdoc Coffee Hour tomorrow, Tuesday 5/30 at 4PM in
8-219!

Enjoy your week!

Cheers,

Meghan

-----

Dr. Meghan Huber

Corresponding Secretary

Postdoctoral Association of MIT (PDA)

Follow the MIT-PDA on social media!

MIT-PDA

website <http://pda.mit.edu>

Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/groups/44093460815/>

Twitter <https://twitter.com/MITPDA>

Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/mitpda/>

LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2506720/profile>

Boston-PDA

website <http://bostonpostdocs.org/>

NEXT MIT-PDA MEETING

Monday, June 12, 2017

12:00pm

Rm E25-401

Lunch will be provided!

REGISTER HERE
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-vT1gzgyik3JHFWaRgQwAVeVoiaoQFK7iP2MO4dtKwo/viewform>

Please join us for our monthly MIT-PDA meeting! Get involved with any of
the various committees (e.g., sports, advocacy, committee, community
building) and have your voice heard. This is a great opportunity meet your
fellow postdocs on campus!

MIT-PDA NEWS AND EVENTS

Postdoc Coffee Hour

Hosted by the MIT-PDA Human Affairs Committee

Do you have questions about life as a PD at MIT?  Would you like to meet
other PDs over a cup of coffee? Would you like to learn more about what the
PDA can do for you? If so, please join us for the monthly postdoc coffee
hour!

Date and Time Tuesday, May 30, 4 - 5:30 PM

Location One Community Room (8-219)

***For Soccer and Volleyball, please check PDA sports Facebook group
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/1499342643696472/> for upcoming events.***

PDA and Strategic Games Society (SGS) Partnership

Hosted by MIT-PDA Community Building Committee

MIT-PDA is happy to announce a new partnership for the board games nights
with the MIT Strategic Games Society (MIT-SGS). It is now free for Postdocs
to join the weekly board games nights hosted by the MIT-SGS. Moreover, you
can bring your non-MIT friends for a small fee of $5 per year. SGS meets
every Friday at 7PM in MIT Building 50-316 (Walker Memorial Hall, Floor 3,
Room 16) for  board games and card games. Gaming sessions typically go
until around 12-2 AM. For more information about the board game branch of
SGS, contact the officers <sgs-officers at mit.edu>.

Postdoc Orientation Sessions

The PDA offers Postdoc Orientation Sessions open to all postdocs at MIT.
Topics covered include:

   -

   Data on postdoc population at MIT

   -

   MIT oversight of postdocs
   -

   Defining postdoc expectations
   -

   Differences between fellows and associates
   -

   PDA structure and initiatives
   -

      How to get involved

The sessions will be typically the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 12pm
(45-60min) in E49-5145. Lunch will be provided. The dates for the semester
are as follows: June 5, June 19, July 3, July 17, July 31, August 14,
September 11, and September 25. If you are interested in participating, you
can register via Atlas or here
<http://web.mit.edu/training/course.html?course=CDT21061c>.

Postdoc Jogging Club

Now that spring has sprung, consider joining the Postdoc Jogging Club!
Those interested in joining club can sign up for the email list here
<https://mailman.mit.edu:444/mailman/listinfo/postdoc-jogging>.

GLIMPSE (PDA PInG Initiative)

If you would like to be interviewed by GLIMPSE podcast or would like to
help with the podcast (music, logo, artwork), please contact us at
glimpse.podcast at gmail.com. For more information, please visit us at:
http://glimpse.mit.edu/

OTHER MIT AND LOCAL EVENTS

This Week

Retirement Sense: Making Informed Retirement Planning (A Two-Part Series

Hosted by MIT Human Resources Department

When Can I Afford to Retire? (Part One). This workshop will help you learn
how to estimate your retirement income and costs to plan for a healthy
financial future. We will focus on Social Security and Medicare rules,
MIT's retirement plans, and the tax implications of retirement savings. We
also will discuss how your day-to-day spending patterns in retirement might
differ from how you spend currently. At the end of this seminar, you should
be able to create a basic retirement budget of monthly income and expenses,
as well as a financial picture of your retirement and your path to getting
there. Homework will include personal research into your current retirement
savings and how to budget in retirement.

Date and Time Thursday, June 1, 12:00-1:30 PM

Location NE49-5000

Registration Register here
<https://www.eventbrite.com/e/two-part-retirement-series-june-registration-32190182703>.

Next Week

How to build resilience and improve your work-life balance

Hosted by Women Accelerators

Do you feel like you have balance in your life?  The perfect amount of
work, home, love, success?  Most people do not.  We are constantly juggling
our responsibilities, trying to find enough time to do everything, and
redefining priorities....

…. When you have been working long hours over long periods of time.

…. When you have been juggling multiple responsibilities,

….when you have so many hats to wear you can not hold them all.

Do you wish for more balance in your life? In this workshop we explore what
it means to have balance.  Brenda will share tools to help you find balance
in any situation. Panelist - Brenda Loan Baker is an Executive &
Entrepreneurial Coach of innerOvation, LLC. She is recognized for taking
large-scale visions and developing a systematic, step-by-step approach to
process creation, performance outcomes, and measurable success. She is
masterful at researching options, developing detailed strategic plans, and
then consistently implementing until successful outcomes are achieved. She
excels in helping teams re-define old systems or develop new ones to serve
their needs at the highest quality level. Appetizers and drinks will be
provided.

Date and Time Wednesday, June 7, starts at 6 PM

Location Broad Institute, Kendall Square, Cambridge MA
Registration Registration is required here
<https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-build-resilience-and-improve-your-work-life-balance-tickets-33788214459>,
sign-in upon arrival.

Upcoming Deadlines

Symposium on Careers and Collaboration in Science

Hosted by the Boston Postdoctoral Association

The Boston Postdoctoral Association (BPDA) is excited to invite you to a
2-day Symposium on Careers and Collaboration in Science (B-SoCCS) on June
16th-17th at the Broad Institute. We have career tracks specifically
tailored to postdocs aiming for academic or industry positions. Our program
includes practical skills development workshops, a poster session, 2
renowned keynote speakers (Phil Sharp, Nobel laureate and Jay Bradner, NIBR
President), a reception, and extensive networking opportunities. We also
have a special “Drug Discovery Bootcamp” with Novartis scientists. For more
info and to submit your abstract (deadline is May 31st), please visit:
https://www.bsoccs2017.org. Prizes for best presentations include: two $500
ASBMB travel awards, a Chromebook, and a Samsung tablet! The Boston
Postdoctoral Association (BPDA)’s planning team includes MIT postdocs and
the PDA professional development committee. The MIT Office of the Vice
President for Research is a gold sponsor.

CHECK OUT THESE SITES FOR ADDITIONAL EVENTS

postdocs.mit.edu (Office VPR)

MIT GECD Events <https://gecd.mit.edu/mit-events>

MIT Spouses&Partners Events <http://spouses.mit.edu/mit-events>

MIT Events <http://events.mit.edu/>

Boston PDA Events <http://bostonpostdocs.org/events-calendar/>

Mass-AWIS Events <http://mass-awis.org/category/events-calendar/>

MIT RESOURCES FOR POSTDOCS

MBTA Access

As a reminder, all postdoctoral fellows and postdoctoral associates on
MIT’s Cambridge campus are eligible for free, unrestricted subway and local
bus access. MIT is providing ID cards with a special MBTA* chip inside that
will provide this access. (*Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority). If
you received a new MIT ID card on or after June 21 (or after August 9, in
the case of many postdoctoral fellows), check the back of your ID card. If
“Charlie INSIDE!” is written on it, you are all set, and already have
access. If not, you can visit the Card Office (W20-020) with your current
MIT ID card to swap it for one with the MBTA chip inside it. The Card
Office is open between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

FREE Mindfulness and Meditation Classes from MIT Medical

Find Some Om Under the Dome

MIT Libraries is offering drop-in meditation and relaxation sessions.
Please join us for silent meditation in the Barker reading room. Sit for a
minute, or 30. Beginners welcome - no experience necessary. Every Monday at
noon in the Barker Dome of Barker Engineering Library (10-500). Please
arrive promptly. Registration is required.
<https://medical.mit.edu/community/wellness/classes/mindfulness-meditation>

Meditation for your Wellbeing

Community Wellness at MIT Medical offers drop-in meditation and relaxation
sessions. Sit back and relax - no experience necessary. Please arrive
promptly. A short talk and guided meditation begins at 12:10 pm. This class
is held every 2nd Wednesday of the month, 12:10 pm-12:40 pm. Led by Seth
Monk. Registration is required.
<https://medical.mit.edu/community/wellness/classes/mindfulness-meditation>

MIT Writing & Communication Center

The Center provides free professional advice about all types of writing and
speaking/oral presentations, including specialized help for non-native
English speakers. See their website for more details:
http://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/

MyLife Services

MyLife Services
<http://o6os.mj.am/link/o6os/xlkt8jnnqpg8/1/-kBne3WjUT8Ww6LEA98gxw/aHR0cDovL2hyd2ViLm1pdC5lZHUvd29ya2xpZmUvbWl0bXlsaWZlc2VydmljZXM>
is
a free, confidential, 24/7 counseling, consultation, and work-life referral
service provided by KGA, Inc., a trusted external provider of employee
assistance programs. Postdoc Associates and Fellows are eligible for
services provided by KGA, Inc. through the MIT Work-Life Center and MyLife
Services. You can now access a network of experts who can help with the
challenges of life and work, such as:

   -

   Financial planning, debt management, and legal issues
   -

   Personal and work relationships
   -

   Sleep and nutrition
   -

   Stress, anxiety, depression, and other emotional concerns
   -

   Child and elder care

This includes 5 FREE confidential mental health counseling sessions, as
well as access to 24/7 confidential counseling services. We encourage you
to learn more about MyLife Services by calling 1-844-405-LIFE
(1-844-405-5433) or going online
<http://o6os.mj.am/link/o6os/xlkt8jnnqpg8/2/y46EmaQ0aMF6d85vixaLTg/aHR0cDovL2hyd2ViLm1pdC5lZHUvd29ya2xpZmUvbWl0bXlsaWZlc2VydmljZXM>.
For more information or to provide feedback, please contact the MIT
Work-Life Center.

MIT Spouses&Partners Connect

Offers social and career-related groups and events for your
spouse/partner/family. For more information and event listings, visit
http://spouses.mit.edu/.

MIT Employee Resource Groups

Join an Employee Resource Group (ERG) at MIT!

ERGs are employee-led groups formed around common interests, issues and/or
a common bond or background. ERGs host activities such as lectures,
socials, dinners, etc. Both Postdoctoral Fellows and Associates are invited
to join. Current ERGs include:

   -

   African, Black, American, Caribbean @MIT (ABAC at MIT) ERG
   -

   Asian Pacific American ERG
   -

   Latino ERG,
   -

   Lesbian, Gay, ,Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) ERG
   -

   Millennials ERG
   -

   Women in IT ERG

Check out the link for more information and upcoming events:
http://hrweb.mit.edu/diversity/ergs/current

OTHER RESOURCES

Free Membership for the National Postdoctoral Association

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a member-driven organization
that provides a unique, national voice for postdoctoral scholars. Since
2003, we have taken on the ambitious agenda to enhance the quality of the
postdoctoral experience in the United States. We have assumed a leadership
role in addressing the many issues confronting the postdoctoral community
that are national in scope and requiring action beyond the local level. Get
your free affiliate membership with the National Postdoctoral Association
here: http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/?page=individual_members

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